Common scams and how they work
The specific setups that catch newcomers, from gem shops and jet skis to fake police calls and rental deposits.
The essentials
- The Grand Palace is closed today is always a lie; the palace is open daily and the friendly stranger telling you otherwise is paid on commission.
- Never sign a jet ski or motorbike rental that takes your passport as deposit; use a photocopy and a cash deposit instead.
- Thai police do not phone you demanding money or asking you to move funds to a safe account.
- Gold and gem investment offers to foreigners are, without exception, a scam.
- Photograph and video every rental vehicle from all angles before you take it, with the timestamp visible.
Street and tourist setups
A well-dressed stranger near a major temple explains the site is closed for a ceremony and offers a tuk-tuk tour at an absurdly low price. The route ends at a gem or tailor shop that pays the driver a commission. There is no closure and the gems are worthless.
Taxi drivers claiming the meter is broken, tuk-tuks quoting a flat fare five times the meter rate, and ping-pong show touts leading to a bar with a four-figure bill are all variations on the same commission structure.
Rental damage claims
Jet ski and motorbike operators point to pre-existing damage on return and demand tens of thousands of baht, sometimes with an accomplice who arrives claiming to be police. Holding your passport gives them leverage. Film the vehicle before renting, refuse to hand over your passport, and if it happens call the tourist police on 1155 rather than paying.
Phone and online fraud
Call-centre gangs impersonate the police, the post office, customs or the Revenue Department, claim your identity has been used in a money-laundering case, and instruct you to transfer funds to a verification account. No Thai agency works this way. Hang up.
Romance and investment scams operating out of the region typically move victims to a trading app showing fabricated profits. Any request to deposit more before withdrawal is confirmation of fraud.
Property and visa agents
Deposits are taken for condos the agent does not represent, and disappear. Insist on meeting at the property, verify ownership against the chanote title deed, and pay a deposit only against a signed contract with the named owner.
Visa agents promising extensions with no bank deposit are buying an official signature. When the arrangement is uncovered, the foreigner is the one blacklisted.
If you are caught
Tourist police 1155 speak English and handle foreigner cases. Report card fraud to your bank immediately and file a police report, as insurers and banks require the report number. For online fraud, the Thai Police Cyber Taskforce operates an online reporting portal.
Official sources
Everything above is written from these. Rules change without notice, so check the relevant one before you book, pay or travel.
This page was last checked against those sources on 31 July 2026. Spotted something out of date? and we'll re-check it.